Today I want to talk about Resource Works, the shills for Woodfibre LNG, proposed for Squamish at the head of Howe Sound – BC’s beautiful and southernmost fjord.

I’m part of a large group opposed to this plant. Let me, however, make this abundantly clear: Our opposition, contrary to what you may read and hear in the media, has nothing to do with NIMBYism. Our concern is LNG tanker traffic which, if allowed in Howe Sound, would be in direct contravention of minimum exclusion zone requirements and other safety operating criteria as generally recognized worldwide and by the law in the United States.

Pushing the limit

These danger zones have been superimposed on the chart of Howe Sound to the right (click on the chart to see in greater detail).

C-51 is an election issue

This issue (C – 51) has legs. Anytime a government proposes legislation that will adversely affect citizens’ rights, it better be done quickly – it’s not the kind of issue you want the public to think about. This is what’s happening, much abetted by Justin Trudeau’s amazing lack of backbone and political inexperience. His support of C-51 showed that he doesn’t understand the fickleness of the crowds’ first reaction, as demonstrated on the eve of WWI, when huge crowds in European capitals were delirious with joy. A little time and unpleasantness can change a massively favourable public opinion into quite the opposite. Read full article at The Common Sense Canadian.

I live on Howe Sound in lovely Lions Bay. I have lived my entire life in British Columbia, growing up in Vancouver and spending much of my boyhood on this lovely fjord.

Howe Sound belongs to all of us. It had been all but destroyed by industry until 20 years ago when rehabilitation was started with the closing of mills and Britannia Mines. Thanks to the work of citizen/volunteersit was enormously successful. We now have the salmon runs dramatically increased, herring runs back to where they used to be, and killer whales, which were so prevalent when I was a boy but had all but disappeared, now going past my house regularly.

The Fraser River estuary scarcely needs any introduction. Suffice it to say that this glorious river is the number one salmon habitat in the world and nowhere are these marvellous fish more vulnerable than in the estuary. The governments have all but approved 200 more or less tankers and barges carrying LNG into and out of this estuary. They intend to skip an environmental assessment altogether, yet, thanks to citizen efforts, have been inundated with demands for a proper public hearing. Read full article at The Common Sense Canadian

Two days ago I sent around a picture of the Pope and Harper which amused me. It had already been tweeted.

Now I find I must plead guilty to stupidity, for until I talked to my wife last night about the reaction to it, it never occurred to me it was probably faked. God’s truth! As a technical klutz it just didn’t cross my mind. I thought it was one of those goofy coincidences that sometimes happen. I had no intention to offend. I sincerely apologize if I did.

Still, it showed me how the Far Right – whose right to be so is unchallengeable – are masters of the same personal attack they accused me of! One ad hominem attack after another without a reasoned criticism – which I admit was available.

Read the tweets! They sound about as reasoned as the shit we Socreds and the NDP used to holler at each other in the Legislature! Mindless – the nastier, more calculated to offend, the better!

Many hide behind a pseudonym. They who set their hair on fire at women wearing veils, strike viciously from the safety of anonymity! Take the time as I did to look at their home pages and read what they and their supporters say : about themselves. I fear for my country that these narrow minded fools might ever get into power.

This may not seem like the most devastating of problems to ever face mankind but it does give me considerable ongoing angst and that’s not a good idea for an ancient writer.

Let me tell you what the genesis of this problem is.

As some of you may know, I am what’s known as a Toronto hater. It’s not that I don’t like the city itself – I have always had a marvelous time when visiting, have a son and four grandchildren living there and love them very much. I wouldn’t live in the city but then again I wouldn’t live anywhere other than British Columbia no matter what the inducement.

No, what pisses me off is the Toronto centricity of this country which seems to hold that all leadership in all walks of life emanate from Hogtown. Continue Reading »

The following was presented to the Vancouver Province on June 7 in response to an article by Stewart Muir who heads Resources Works, a group actively supporting the proposed Woodfibre LNG plant. The Province printed a much abbreviated version on June 12 and I feel obliged to let you get the full picture of the nonsene Muir peddled, so very consistent with the general accuracy of his statements.

Stewart Muir and his Resource Works which, under a flimsy disguise of independence, shill for the proposed Woodfibre LNG plant, are masters of the half truth.

Muir alleges that the proposed Woodfibre LNG at Squamish is a “long way from any residents”.

Obviously that’s nonsense and anyone living on Howe Sound along the proposed LNG Tanker route knows that that route is unsafe. International rules say the danger zone around LNG tankers is 3,500 to 4,200 metres. Howe Sound is so narrow that its shores are well within the danger zone. Looking at a map based upon proper standards demonstrates beyond question that Gambier, Keats, Bowen, the Sea to Sky Highway, Lions Bay, Horseshoe Bay and West Vancouver would be at serious risk. Proposed LNG Tanker traffic even runs afoul of the standards of the industry’s international trade organization, the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO).

Muir continues to mislead by declaring that in 50 years there has “never been a major shipping incident worldwide”. What Muir forgets to add are these rather critical words, “on the high seas”.

In case Mr. Muir hasn’t looked around him carefully, The Fraser River and Howe Sound scarcely qualify as the “high seas”.

Resource Works, headed by Muir, steadfastly refuses to deal with these and other questions raised by those of us who live along the shores of Howe Sound and who will not be satisfied with self-serving twaddle put out by the LNG industry.

Stewart Muir knows that the owner, convicted big time tax evader Sukarto Tanoto, and Woodfibre LNG are in the fight of their lives and that they’re going to lose to the people who are firmly and steadfastly opposed.

We’re told by the company that LNG tankers have a 50 year safety record so there is naught to worry about. You should know, however, that the company lies through its teeth by leaving out four rather important words “on the high seas“.

The Fraser River is not the “high seas”?

Bear in mind, as reported in The Common Sense Canadian, the recommended distances between the tanker and shore, set out by Scandia Laboratories as well as the industry’s own organization, the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO), makes it clear that both the Fraser River and Howe Sound are totally inappropriate for LNG tankers. Read full article at The Common Sense Canadian

On June 7, Wendy and I were guests at Hastings Park and privileged to decorate the winner of the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill Stakes. It was a wonderful afternoon and thanks to Greg Douglas, my old friend and our host, we felt very welcome indeed.

My involvement with horse-racing goes back to when I was very young indeed. For some reason, in my very early teens, I took an interest in the sport and started to follow it assiduously. I cut out all of the form charts and race results and religiously listened to Jack Short’s racing highlights on CJOR every evening after the races.

The first Kentucky Derby I remember listening to was in 1945 won by Hoop Jr. I read everything I could including histories of Man-O-War, Seabiscuit, Whirlaway and other great heroes. I knew about the great jockeys going back to Earl Sande, “Never a handy guy like Sande, bootin’ them babies in!” Damon Runyon).

In those days there were three tracks in the Vancouver area, Lansdowne and Brighouse in Richmond, and Hastings Park at the exhibition in Vancouver. The racing days were allotted amongst the tracks by the government with the final lot going to Sandown in Victoria. Continue Reading »

A mug’s game

Let’s back up a bit. If one had all of the up-to-date polls from every constituency in Canada with expert analysis on each, it would still be a mug’s game to pick the winner of the next election. One can only really go on a “tummy feel” from information gained from a media which is none too bright and considerably less than politically independent.

The polls aren’t always helpful for the obvious reason that they are only snapshots of the moment the poll is taken, along with the fact that people may not always tell the truth. Read full article at The Common Sense Canadian

Let’s call the whole thing off

Why don’t we just abolish the National Energy Board and all other boards like it and allow environmental projects to be judged strictly by the industry itself, with the customary pat on the corporate head from the prime minister?